Kudremukha National Park

Kudremukha National Park is a well-known protected area located in the Western Ghats of Karnataka, India. The park was established in 1987 and covers an area of 600 square kilometers. Kudremukha means ‘horse’s face’ in the Kannada language, and it refers to a peak that resembles the face of a horse at an altitude of 1,894 meters.

The park is a biodiversity hotspot and home to many rare species of flora and fauna. It boasts unique landscapes with rolling hills, waterfalls, lush green forests, grasslands, and shola forests. Kudremukha National Park is not only known for its natural beauty but also for its conservation efforts towards preserving wildlife habitats. The park attracts numerous visitors every year who come to explore its wilderness and indulge in outdoor activities such as trekking and camping amidst nature’s blissful surroundings.

Kudremukha National Park Map

Introduction of Kudremukha National Park

Kudremukha National Park, the largest protected area of tropical wet evergreen forests in Karnataka, is a prime sector of the forest tracts in the Western Ghats and a recognized hill station rich in iron-ore deposits. It covers an area of 600 square kilometers and is situated about 95 km southwest of Chikmagalur town. The park’s picturesque mountainous landscapes contribute to its status as one among the world’s 34 biodiversity hotspots identified for the conservation of biotic wealth.

Topography and Terrain

Apart from being a haven for rare plant and animal species, Kudremukh National Park also attracts tourists with its stunning natural beauty. The park derives its name from the characteristic “horse-face”shape of the Kudremukh peak, which looks like a horse’s face when viewed from different angles. The peak is also the highest point in the park. Moreover, Kudremukha National Park is well linked by road to Mysore and Bangalore cities.

With such impressive credentials, it comes as no surprise that Kudremukha National Park occupies a prominent position on India’s conservation map. In fact, it comes under Global Tiger Conservation Priority-I under the format developed jointly by Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and World Wide Fund USA (WWF). However, to fully appreciate this national treasure requires an understanding of its history – how it came into existence and evolved over time.

History

Historical Events Related to Kudremukh National Park

The history of this region’s conservation efforts is a story of balancing economic development with the need to protect its rich biodiversity. The Kudremukh region had been declared as a Reserve Forest in 1916 by the British Government to check the rampant destruction of forests caused by slash and burn cultivation practices in the forested interiors of the Ghats. Later, Dr. Ullas Karanth, an environmentalist and Tiger expert, proposed a conservation plan for survival of wild population of Lion-tailed Macaques in the region.

In 1987, based on Dr. Karanth’s report, the Karnataka State Wildlife Advisory Board suggested to create Kudremukha National Park (KMNP) and issued its first notification declaring these Reserved Forests as a National Park. However, controversies arose when Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Limited (KIOCL), a Public Sector Undertaking, was granted permissions and a 30-year lease in 1969 to mine weathered iron-ore from Kudremukh Hills within the park premises on an area of over 4,600 hectares. Environmentalists and wildlife conservationists opposed this activity due to concerns about threats to regional flora and fauna.

After nearly two years of court battle, on October 30th, 2002, the Supreme Court ordered all mining operations in KMNP to be ceased and recommended that KIOCL make its departure from the area by December 2005. Thus on December 31st, 2005,KIOCL ended its long disputed mining operations in KMNP. This decision marked an important milestone for environmental protection efforts while simultaneously ensuring economic development for local communities.

Moving forward into the subsequent section about ‘terrain’, it is worth noting how this outcome has impacted not only preservation but also restoration efforts within KMNP’s unique landscape.

Terrain

Physiography of Kudremukha National Park

The topography of the Kudremukha National Park is characterized by two distinct types of terrain. The southern and western parts of the park are scarp-edged and thickly covered with evergreen forests. These areas feature steep slopes and hillsides, which provide a habitat for a diverse range of flora and fauna. In contrast, the northern and eastern parts of the park are a series of undulating hills and ridges that are mostly covered in grasslands.

The different terrains found within Kudremukha National Park have resulted in varied vegetation cover. The forested areas support a rich diversity of plant species, including tall trees such as teak, rosewood, sandalwood, and silver oak. These forests also provide shelter to several animals such as tigers, leopards, deer, elephants, wild boars among others. On the other hand, grasslands host several species of herbs that play an important role in maintaining soil fertility.

Overall, the terrain within Kudremukha National Park plays an essential role in shaping its ecology. Understanding this topography helps us appreciate how it creates unique habitats for various plant and animal species throughout the park’s diverse landscapes. An overview of Kudremukh’s flora will further illustrate this point by providing insight into how these plants have adapted to their respective environments over time.

An Overview of Kudremukh’s Flora

Shola is one of the types of forests found in Kudremukha National Park. It is a unique montane forest that grows at high altitudes and has a distinctive vegetation structure. Shola forests are known for their stunted trees, dense undergrowth, and a canopy that is often covered with mosses and lichens.

Shola

Elevations above 1000 meters are home to the shola, a unique type of forest that thrives in less favorable conditions. Despite its small stature, the shola is characterized by high species richness and a varied canopy that displays shades of green and red during summer flushes. The growth of this forest varies according to elevation and aspect, but it is generally limited by wind and soil substratum.

One interesting feature of sholas is the garland of impenetrable thickets of Nilagirianthus callosus that surrounds them, providing a ‘wall effect’ at the interface with grasslands. This type of forest can be found in Kudremukha National Park, where it contributes to the park’s rich flora. In addition to this diverse vegetation, Kudremukha National Park also boasts an impressive array of fauna that adds to its ecological significance.

Fauna

Kudremukha National Park boasts a diverse range of fauna, with approximately 150 bird species, including 16 endemics and notable species like the Great Hornbill and Ceylon Frogmouth. The park’s tropical evergreen forests harbor a variety of animal life, from rare primate species such as Slender Loris and Lion-tailed Macaque to reptiles like King Cobra and Rock Python. Invertebrates are also well-represented in the park, with over 100 species of butterflies and 50 species of moths recorded.

The presence of nocturnal animals adds to the mystique of Kudremukha National Park. Many animals use vibrant colors, smells, movements, and noises to communicate and distinguish themselves from other species within the forest. However, any external element can cause the entire forest to become silent and mortified. Restoring normalcy would require at least an hour of uninterrupted absolute silence. Despite this sensitivity to external factors, the park remains a haven for various endangered or vulnerable species.

In addition to its rich biodiversity, Kudremukha National Park is known for its scenic beauty and unique climate conditions that shape its ecosystems. Understanding these factors is crucial to preserving this natural treasure for future generations.

Climate

Climate and Weather

This section will discuss the climate of Kudremukha National Park, focusing on two key points: rainfall pattern and distribution, as well as temperature. The park experiences a cool and agreeable climate for most of the year, with hot weather conditions felt only on the sea-facing slopes. The onset of the southwest monsoon brings extraordinary moisture that is favorable for forest growth and triggers numerous waterfalls to roar into the river, making it an ideal time to visit.

Rainfall pattern and distribution

The Kudremukha National Park is known for its heavy and evenly distributed rainfall, which is received mostly from the southwest monsoon. The park area experiences almost incessant precipitation during the rainy season, with July and August being the months with the highest amount of rainfall. A slight gradation in precipitation can be felt towards the east as one moves across the giant wall standing across the main direction of monsoon winds.

The park’s location on steep hill slopes also plays a crucial role in its rainfall pattern and distribution. As monsoon winds from the Arabian sea ascend these hill slopes, they cool down and call forth nearly constant precipitation during this time. Despite receiving negligible rainfall from northeast monsoons that become weak by traversing the Deccan plateau, some parts or other of Kudremukha National Park remain heavily cloud-cast throughout the entire rainy season. With such a unique climate pattern, it comes as no surprise that temperature variations in this area are equally intriguing to explore.

Temperature

Temperature trends in the Kudremukh National Park are generally mild and pleasant. However, there are only a few stations within the park that record temperature data. During the southwest monsoon season, which is typically the coolest part of the year, daytime temperatures tend to be lower while nights can get quite chilly in December and January. As mid-January approaches, temperatures start rising rapidly but this is attenuated by frequent pre-monsoon showers by mid-April.

In summer, temperatures hardly ever cross 35°C during the day while winter temperatures remain around 10°C, making it an ideal time to visit. The mean daily temperature remains between 18°C and 30°C for most parts of the year. Throughout the year, there is a significant drop in night temperature which makes for comfortable sleeping conditions. When considering visiting Kudremukh National Park, understanding these temperature patterns can help visitors plan their trip accordingly. Moving on from this discussion about temperature trends at Kudremukh National Park, it’s important to also consider water sources within this natural reserve and how they impact overall ecological health.

Water sources

Water Sources and Resources

Water scarcity poses a significant challenge in Kudremukha National Park, with most small streams and nalas drying up by March and even rivers reduced to a trickle. This makes it the only time when animals are found covering considerable distances for water. At higher elevations, especially in the grasslands, water sources go totally dry. As a result of the high demand for irrigation water in and around the national park by January/February, whatever stream or river flows are found downstream at the edge of the national park are diverted through open drains or piped out onto farmlands.

Springs in Kudremukha National Park also don’t provide enough water during this season as they become confined due to increasing temperatures. The drinking water needs of settlements inside the national park are met by gravitational water supply schemes since effectively, there is minimal discharge of water from the national park to its surroundings because of demand from numerous areca nut gardens nearby. Without good pre-monsoon showers, only Tunga, Bhadra and Netravathi rivers will be in flow while all others practically dry up.

This situation highlights how essential it is for human settlements to have access to alternative sources of clean drinking water that won’t interfere with wildlife habitats.

Human settelments

Previously, we discussed the water sources in Kudremukh National Park. Now let us shift our focus to the human settlements within the park. The national park houses almost 1300 families belonging to 98 settlements, with a population of approximately 6250 people and 7000 cattle living inside its boundaries. These settlements range from single households to larger communities of up to 130 households in Mutlapadi in Karkala taluk.

The majority of houses within the national park are made of Mangalore tiles, with very few thatched houses except for use as cattle sheds. RCC buildings are also rare, with only a small percentage being constructed using this method. This is not surprising given that over 95% of people in the area rely on agriculture as their main source of income and livelihoods. However, this has resulted in increased pressure on land usage – an index which is reflected by the per capita cultivated land holding and number of cattle per 1000 people indices.

With a third of tribal families living exclusively on encroached forestlands, it becomes clear that human settlement patterns have been influenced by economic factors related to agriculture and land ownership within the park. Despite this, there are other communities who were previously agricultural labourers but have now been awarded tenancy lands or freshly granted revenue lands for cultivation purposes. Such activities can pose detrimental effects on biodiversity conservation efforts within Kudremukh National Park and will be further explored when discussing mining activities in subsequent sections.

Mining in Kudremukh

One of the major concerns in the Kudremukh region is the extensive mining activities that have been carried out. Unfortunately, these activities have resulted in significant environmental degradation and loss of biodiversity. A study conducted by XYZ found that mining operations had led to large-scale deforestation and soil erosion, negatively impacting the local flora and fauna.

To further understand the effects of mining on Kudremukh, consider these four points:

1. The forest clearance for roads, electric lines, townships and reservoirs has disrupted wildlife habitats.
2. Mining has polluted water bodies such as rivers and streams which are critical sources of water for both human settlements and wildlife.
3. Mining activities release particulate matter into the air leading to respiratory illnesses among people living nearby.
4. The use of heavy machinery has caused noise pollution which is detrimental to both humans and animals alike.

Despite all these negative impacts associated with mining in Kudremukh, it remains a major source of livelihood for those who work in the industry. Nevertheless, it is essential that measures be put in place to mitigate its adverse effects on the environment so as to preserve this unique ecosystem for future generations to enjoy.

FAQ

Conclusion

Kudremukha National Park, located in the Western Ghats of Karnataka, India, is a unique and diverse ecosystem. The park boasts a rich history and varied terrain which supports an array of flora and fauna. Despite being declared a protected area in 1987, the park faced threats from human settlements and mining activities.

The park’s flora includes over 190 species of plants while its fauna includes 29 species of mammals, 200 species of birds, and numerous reptiles and amphibians. The climate is tropical with high rainfall throughout the year. The park is also known for its water sources which supply drinking water to nearby towns.

However, mining activities have impacted the biodiversity of Kudremukha National Park. As per statistics from the Forest Department of Karnataka, between 1969-1996, over 5 million tons of iron ore were extracted annually from Kudremukh hills resulting in significant environmental damage. Nevertheless, efforts are being made to restore this unique ecosystem through conservation measures such as afforestation programs and strict regulations on mining activities.

In conclusion, Kudremukha National Park is a remarkable natural treasure that requires protection from human activities. With continued efforts towards conservation measures like reforestation programs and stricter regulation on mining activities to reduce environmental damage within the region; it can be ensured that this biodiverse paradise remains intact for generations to come.